Question 1

What is the difference between tem vindo a comprar and the standard present perfect tem comprado?

Accepted Answer

Both describe an action that started in the past and continues into the present. However, the structure ter vindo a + infinitive specifically highlights the gradual, continuous, or cumulative nature of the action. It translates perfectly to 'has been buying,' emphasizing a progressive trend over time, whereas tem comprado simply means 'has bought (lately/repeatedly)'.

Question 2

Why do we use a comprar here instead of the gerund comprando?

Accepted Answer

In European Portuguese, ongoing or continuous actions are almost always expressed using a + infinitive. Because of this, this cumulative aspectual structure is strictly formed as ter vindo a + infinitive in Portugal. The gerund equivalent (tem vindo comprando) is something you will typically only hear in Brazilian Portuguese.

Question 3

Would the phrase cada vez menos change if it described a feminine noun instead of bens?

Accepted Answer

No. Cada vez menos translates to 'less and less' or 'fewer and fewer,' and it is completely invariable. The word menos never changes gender or number in Portuguese, so the phrase stays exactly the same even if it modifies a feminine plural noun like compras.

Question 4

I know bem as the adverb for 'well'. How does it mean 'goods' in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

While bem is most commonly used as an adverb, it also functions as a noun. In the singular, um bem can mean 'a good' or 'an asset'. In the plural, os bens is the standard economic and legal term for 'goods', 'products', or 'possessions'.

O consumidor tem vindo a comprar cada vez menos bens.

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